Log inSign up

El encuentro es mañana en el centro.

El encuentro es mañana en el centro.
The meeting is tomorrow downtown.
From Lesson 255:Agreeing on plans (quedar en)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about El encuentro es mañana en el centro.

Why does this sentence use es instead of está for a location (en el centro)?
Normally, we use estar to talk about where something is located. However, there is a special rule for events (like a meeting, a party, or a concert). When you are stating where or when an event takes place, you must use the verb ser. Since el encuentro is an event, we use es.
Since this lesson is about quedar en (to agree on), how could I rewrite this to say "We agreed to meet tomorrow downtown"?
You could say Quedamos en encontrarnos mañana en el centro. Here, the periphrasis quedar en is followed by the infinitive encontrarnos (to meet each other) to show exactly what action was agreed upon.
Could I use la reunión or la cita instead of el encuentro?
Yes, but the nuance changes slightly. El encuentro is a general word for a gathering, get-together, or encounter. La reunión usually implies a more formal or professional meeting (like at work), while la cita is a scheduled appointment (like with a doctor) or a romantic date.
Why is "downtown" translated as en el centro?
Spanish doesn't have a direct one-word equivalent for "downtown." Instead, Spanish speakers refer to the downtown or central business district of a city as el centro. So, being "downtown" is always expressed as being "in the center" (en el centro).

Learn El encuentro es mañana en el centro and more in Spanish

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Spanish →